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On this episode, we speak with Boone & Ben, co‑founders of Highland Style Co., a clean‑ingredient men’s grooming brand that grew from kitchen‑experiments to eight figures in revenue. We dig into their growth journey: how they built performance products, retained customers, and scaled unit economics without losing the values that launched them.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How to validate product performance early via professional channels (barbershops/salons) to build credibility.
- The importance of embedding unit economics (margins, payback period, LTV/CAC) from day one to ensure scalable growth.
- Three content pillars that moved the needle for Highland: founder storytelling, expert endorsements, and aspirational user content.
- Real tactics for retention: packaging, post‑purchase experience, SMS/email flows, and repeat products.
- Why staying lean in team & operations matters, and how to hire/contract strategically to keep agility.
- How clean beauty standards (ingredients, packaging) can coexist with performance and profitability.
Timestamps
00:00 The origins of Highland and solving a personal problem
02:00 Early product development and validation with barbershops
07:00 Bootstrapping, fundraising, and focus on profitability
10:00 Building strong unit economics and targeting 80% margins
12:00 Meta ads and founder-led storytelling that drove growth
15:00 Evolving content strategy and leveraging industry experts
18:00 Scaling to eight figures with only two SKUs
21:00 Staying lean with a four-person team and efficient operations
25:00 Merging marketing with finance and building a payback workbook
28:00 Retention tactics and post-purchase experience
31:00 Expanding to Amazon and why it was a growth unlock
32:00 Scrappy press tactics and winning grooming awards
35:00 Building relationships with creators and affiliate partners
36:00 Future goals, brand vision, and plans for expansion
Hashtags
#DTCpodcast #HighlandHair #EcommerceGrowth #Bootstrapping #StartupStory #UnitEconomics #FounderJourney #ContentStrategy #RetentionMarketing #AmazonGrowth #HaircareBrand #DigitalMarketing #BrandBuilding #BusinessPodcast #ScalingBrands
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